Trinity County – Lake, River and History

Trinity Lake offers a tangible introduction to the landscape. Its surface area covers approximately 26 square miles, and its shoreline measures 145 miles. These figures describe two different dimensions of the lake: its area and the length of its shoreline. The lake is accessible via State Highway 299W and California Highway 3. If Trinity Lake is part of your travel plans, these roads provide specific routes to get there.

Fishing on the Trinity Wild and Scenic River offers several options: salmon, steelhead, and trophy brown trout. You can fish from a drift boat or at shoreline spots accessible on foot. This raises two practical questions for your planning: Which of these fish species interests you, and would you like to fish from a boat or from a shoreline spot you can reach on foot? Along the corridor, there are also BLM-managed campgrounds and many undeveloped public access points.

Trinity Transit serves Trinity County and other areas beyond it. Service coverage and schedules may change; check current connections before your trip.

Weaverville: Temples and Historic District

The Weaverville Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes more than 35 marked historic buildings that you can explore on a self-guided walking tour. Its architecture includes typical 19th-century Northern California gold-rush town styles, as well as Chinese earth-built structures and temple buildings. You’ll encounter distinct architectural traditions within the district.

The Temple of the Forest Beneath the Clouds is located in Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park. Built in 1874, the temple is considered California’s oldest continuously used Chinese temple. The park offers temple tours Thursday through Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.; check the times before your visit. This means Weaverville offers different ways to visit: a self-guided tour of the Historic District and temple tours with set start times.

Forest Trails and Other Cultural Highlights

The Weaverville Community Forest manages federal land in Trinity County and is home to the Trinity Children’s Forest and the Weaver Basin Trail System. Maps for the Weaver Basin Trail System are available at Tammie’s Books, the Trinity County Chamber of Commerce, and Mamma Llama Coffeehouse; all three locations are on Main Street (Hwy. 299) in Weaverville. Since map availability may change, check in advance to make sure they are available there.

Rigdzin Ling is also home to a Guru Rinpoche statue carved from a single block of western red cedar; it was consecrated in fall 1994.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: Weaverville, Hayfork, Trinity Center, Coffee Creek, Big Bar, Yolo, Stanislaus, San Mateo

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